scholarly journals A-07 The Potential Impact of Nuclear History of Micronesia in Neuropsychological Functioning

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 866-866
Author(s):  
L Duke ◽  
C Gallahue ◽  
J Lin ◽  
D Shah ◽  
J Wu ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective As a result of 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958, inhabitants of Micronesia exposed to radiation exhibited chronic health issues and birth defects that persist to this day. This patient’s presentation may be an example of the continued residual impact of nuclear testing in Micronesia and demonstrates the importance of historical and biological factors when considering differential diagnoses. Method Patient is a six-year-old Micronesian male referred for assessment of psychological functioning. He was developmentally delayed since birth, exhibited unusual facial features, and previously diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Presenting problems included speech delays, limited attention span, difficulty coping with challenges, narrow interests, impulsivity, difficulties interacting with peers, and toileting issues (i.e., defecating on the floor). Mother immigrated to Hawaii from Micronesia in 2006 and primarily speaks Chuukese. While pregnant, mother was on medications for diabetes, hospitalized with high blood pressure, and chewed tobacco daily. Patient experienced some difficulties during the neonatal period. Results Average nonverbal intelligence; moderately low receptive single word vocabulary; possible somatization, tendency to withdraw, and atypical behavior; problems with functional communication and daily living activities; and learning-related problems at school. Probability of autism within the Possibly/Very Likely range. Age-inappropriate projective drawings, with indications of potential genetic or developmental dysfunction. Conclusions Patient was diagnosed with ASD, with accompanying language impairment. Due to family history of radiation exposure in Micronesia and prenatal concerns, a rule out of other neurodevelopmental disorders and various genetic conditions were considered.

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1129-1129
Author(s):  
Elena Ostroy ◽  
Irma Campbell

Abstract Objective The cases describe neuropsychological functioning in a 55-year-old male and 37-year-old female with a history of COVID-19 illness. While COVID-19-related cognitive and psychological impairments are documented, long-term outcomes are not well understood as few case studies exist. The present case studies add to the growing body of literature describing the neuropsychological profile and outcomes in patients with a history of COVID-19 illness at 3 to 12 months post-illness. Method Both patients had confirmed COVID-19 illness with symptoms including fever, headache, ageusia, anosmia, and fatigue. An MRI/DTI/MRS of the brain showed significant changes for both patients. Self-reported cognitive symptoms at the initial evaluation (3 to 6 months post-illness) included problems with memory and attention for both patients. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and irritability were reported. Results On the initial assessment, both patients showed decline in learning and memory. One patient showed additional decline in attention, executive functions, and processing speed. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were elevated in both patients. Following the initial evaluation, one patient participated in formal cognitive remediation. At the five to ten month follow-up, both patients reported improvements in cognition and psychological functioning. Neurocognitive testing showed improvements across most cognitive domains though residual deficits were noted for one patient in memory and executive functions. Emotionally, symptoms of anxiety and depression remained elevated. Conclusions Results add to the growing body of literature on the course of cognitive decline following COVID-19 illness. While significant cognitive recovery occurs within several months, residual cognitive and emotional problems can remain measurable up to a year post-illness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence B. Leonard

Purpose The current “specific language impairment” and “developmental language disorder” discussion might lead to important changes in how we refer to children with language disorders of unknown origin. The field has seen other changes in terminology. This article reviews many of these changes. Method A literature review of previous clinical labels was conducted, and possible reasons for the changes in labels were identified. Results References to children with significant yet unexplained deficits in language ability have been part of the scientific literature since, at least, the early 1800s. Terms have changed from those with a neurological emphasis to those that do not imply a cause for the language disorder. Diagnostic criteria have become more explicit but have become, at certain points, too narrow to represent the wider range of children with language disorders of unknown origin. Conclusions The field was not well served by the many changes in terminology that have transpired in the past. A new label at this point must be accompanied by strong efforts to recruit its adoption by clinical speech-language pathologists and the general public.


2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy F. Jacobson ◽  
Richard G. Schwartz

Grammatical measures that distinguish language differences from language disorders in bilingual children are scarce. This study examined English past tense morphology in sequential bilingual Spanish/English-speaking children, age 7;0–9;0 (years;months). Twelve bilingual children with language impairment (LI) or history of LI and 15 typically developing (TD) bilingual children participated. Thirty-six instances of the past tense including regular, irregular, and novel verbs were examined using an elicited production task. By examining English past tense morphology in sequential bilinguals, we uncovered similarities and differences in the error patterns of TD children and children with LI. The groups differed in the overall accuracy of past tense use according to verb type, as well as the characteristic error patterns. Children with LI performed lower than their TD peers on all verb categories, with an interaction between verb type and group. TD children were better at producing regular verbs and exhibited more productive errors (e.g., overregularization). Conversely, children with LI performed relatively better on irregular verbs and poorest on novel verbs, and they exhibited more nonproductive errors (e.g., bare stem verbs). The results have important clinical implications for the assessment of morphological productivity in Spanish-speaking children who are learning English sequentially.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 589
Author(s):  
Natasa Georgiou ◽  
George Spanoudis

Language and communication deficits characterize both autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder, and the possibility of there being a common profile of these is a matter of tireless debate in the research community. This experimental study addresses the relation of these two developmental conditions in the critical topic of language. Α total of 103 children (79 males, 24 females) participated in the present study. Specifically, the study’s sample consisted of 40 children with autism, 28 children with developmental language disorder, and 35 typically developing children between 6 and 12 years old. All children completed language and cognitive measures. The results showed that there is a subgroup inside the autism group of children who demonstrate language difficulties similar to children with developmental language disorder. Specifically, two different subgroups were derived from the autism group; those with language impairment and those without. Both autism and language-impaired groups scored lower than typically developing children on all language measures indicating a common pathology in language ability. The results of this study shed light on the relation between the two disorders, supporting the assumption of a subgroup with language impairment inside the autism spectrum disorder population. The common picture presented by the two developmental conditions highlights the need for further research in the field.


Histories ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-84
Author(s):  
Tiasa Basu Roy

It was from the middle of the eighteenth century that discussions regarding the strategies taken up by the Protestant missionaries to propagate the Gospel generated the issue of healthcare and medical facilities among people in India. Medical mission, which hitherto was not considered, started to gain importance and reaped positive results in terms of curing individuals and its trustworthiness among tribes residing in the frontier regions. However, this developed a separatist religious identity among the population, which apparently did not appear lethal, but later culminated in the fragmentation and impeachment of solidarity among the adivais (tribal) and vengeance from the Hindu population. This article will show how the Canadian Baptist Mission, with its primary aim of spreading the Kingdom of God among the tribal Savaras in the Ganjam district of Orissa, undertook measures for serving health issues and provided medical facilities to both the caste Oriyas and the tribal Savaras. Although medical activities oriented towards philanthropy and physical well-being, medical mission was not limited to healing illness and caring for all, but also extended to spreading the word of God and influencing the people to embrace Christianity as well, which invited political troubles into the region.


2021 ◽  
pp. 073428292110259
Author(s):  
Brittany A. Dale ◽  
W. Holmes Finch ◽  
Kassie A. R. Shellabarger ◽  
Andrew Davis

The Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC) are the most widely used instrument in assessing cognitive ability, especially with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous literature on the WISC has demonstrated a divergent pattern of performance on the WISC for children ASD compared to their typically developing peers; however, there is a lack of research concerning the most recent iteration, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Due to the distinctive changes made to the WISC-V, we sought to identify the pattern of performance of children with ASD on the WISC-V using a classification and regression (CART) analysis. The current study used the standardization sample data of the WISC-V obtained from NCS Pearson, Inc. Sixty-two children diagnosed with ASD, along with their demographically matched controls, comprised the sample. Results revealed the Comprehension and Letter-Number Sequencing subtests were the most important factors in predicting group membership for children with ASD with an accompanying language impairment. Children with ASD without an accompanying language impairment, however, were difficult to distinguish from matched controls through the CART analysis. Results suggest school psychologists and other clinicians should administer all primary and supplemental subtests of the WISC-V as part of a comprehensive assessment of ASD.


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